Call transmitter



Dec. 19, 1939. J. C. FIELD v CALL TRANSMITTER Filed June 28, 1938 5Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR J.C. FIELD ATTORNEY Dec. 19, 1939. J. c. FIELDCALL TRANSMITTER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 28, 1938 lA/VENTOR ByJ.C.F/ELD 9. gfiaax maid ATTORNEY J; c. FIELD CALL TRANSMITTER FiledJune 28) 1938 SShets-Sheet s ATTORNEY Dec. 19, 1939.

J. C. FIELD CALL TRANSMITTER Filed June 28, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 k atINVENTOR J.C.F/ELD ATTORNEY Dec. 19, 1939. J. c. FIELD CALL TRANSMITTERFiled June 28, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 R mm. M W WC J ATTORNEY PatentedDec. 19, 1939 CALL TRANSMITTER JosephCQField, Maplewood, N. J., assignorto Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., acorporation of New York Application June 28, 1938, Serial No. 216,224 6Claims. (01. 179-90) This invention relates totelephone call transmitterdevices of the repertory type.

The object of the invention is to improve the construction and operationof such devices.

According to the invention, a call transmitter device of the repertorytype is provided in which the manual operation of a knob is effective tomove a pointer in registry with a desired subscribers name printed on aname-plate, and to rotate a lead screw for moving a wiper in opera.-tive relation with one of a number of code elements representing thecall designationof the desired subscriber as indicated by the pointer,the code elements being formed by mounting segment-shaped cams on ringswhich are in turn keyed on a rotatable drum-shaped support.

Means in the form of a ratchet mechanismis provided for operativelyconnecting such a support to a motor housed in the drum-shaped support,such means having a camming element for actuating an arm whichcooperates with a lever under control of the selected code element forcausing the operation of a pulsing contact in a hit-and-miss operatingmanner for transmitting a number of pulses corresponding to thecalldesignation selected by the movement of the knob,

and indicated by the pointer. Means is provided for automaticallycentering the wiper in operative relation with the selected code elementwith means for locking the knob and the wiper actu ated thereby in theselected position during the pulsing operation of the transmitter, andauto-- matically operable means is provided for unlocking'the knob andstopping the operation of the motor at the conclusion of each calltransmitting operation.

Other novel features of the invention and ad-.

vantageswill appear from the following description and by the claimsappended thereto, reference being had to the accompanying drawings Fig.3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Fig.4;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation view showing the casing in section and anumber of parts with" portions cut away; i

Fig. 5 is a partial view showing the code ele ments, their support and anumber of operating parts with portions cut away;

Fig. 6 is a partial view showing the locking mechanism for the knobactuating the selecting mechanism and the switch for the control of themotor in the locked position;

Fig. 7 is a partial top view shown with the casing in section taken online l'l of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view showing the pulsing 5 and the selectingmechanism in perspective;

Figs. 9 and 10 are partial views of the pulsing mechanism showing thecontact controlling -mechanism in the non-operated and operated :343 ofFig. 12; and

Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken on line Ml4 of Fig. 4. f Asshown in the drawings it is a base which is formed with an uprightsupport 53 shown in Fig. 4. and on this base are secured as by screws M,the upright extending mounting plates or flanges Hand l2. On plate lZaremounted the studs l5, l6 and H shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5.

-These studs are held securely on this plate by nuts ISA, ISA and HA andon these studs are mounted the rollers [53, 16B and HB provided forrotatably supporting one end of a drum I8, the other end of this drumbeing supported. by aspindle l9 laterally extending from upright l3 andengaging the bearing ISB carried by a spider-shaped member 20, the armsof which are secured to the end of drum l8 as by rivets or in any otherwell-known manner.

On drum I8 is mounted a plurality of rings 22 split radially as at 23.Fig. 11, for engaging a key member 2! secured to the drum l8. This keymember serves for positioning the rings 22 in aligned position on thisdrum and each ring 22 is provided with three triangularly disposed pins24, 25 and 26 extendinglaterally from one side thereof to serve forholding these rings in spaced relation to each other on the drum !8, theends of the pins, 24, 25 and 26 of one ring abutting against theopposite side of its adjacently dis.- posed ring as shown in Figs. 4, 5and 7. Rings'22 are held collectively on the drum l8 between retainingradial pins 30 .carried by the drum as shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and '7 anda plurality of spring arms 21, 28 and 29 carried by the spidershapedmember 20. These arms are pivoted on screws 21a, 28a, and 29a and may bemoved from the position shown in Fig. 11 to. the position 5 shown inFigs. 4 and 14 where they may be forced against the ring 22 disposed atthis end of the drum by tightening their fastening screws 21a, 28a and29a. These arms, however, in the position shown in Fig. 11 permit theremoval of rings 22 from the drum I8 for replacement by other ringsbearing other telephone call designations. The rings 22 are eachprovided with a row of equally spaced holes I4 any two of which registerwith holes 32 and 33 in segment-shaped cams as DI, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6and Di. These cams are made of different angular distance representingthe digits 1 to 9, inclusive, and a cipher, the latter meaning 10 as iswell known in automatic telephone systems. Each segment-shaped cam maybe secured on any one of the rings 22 by a clip member as 3I shown inFig. 11 engaging the holes as 32 and 33 of such a segment and any twoholes as I 4 in one of the rings 22, after which the parallelprojections of the clip are bent against the opposite side of the ring22.

The segment-shaped cams DI, D2, D3, etc., may be combined and assembledon any one of the rings 22 to represent any seven-digit telephone calldesignation desired and serve to control the operation of a pulsingcontact in the form of a stationary spring 35 and a duplex operablespring 35 in a manner which will be hereinafter described in detail. Thespaces between the cam portions of any two adjacently disposed segments,however, form the so-called interdigit spaces provided for permittingthe selector switches at the telephone exchange to distinguish betweenthe sets of pulses included in a given telephone call designationdetermined as above described by the angular distance or degrees of thearcs of cam portions DI, D2, D3, etc.

Springs 31 and 39 and the pulsing contact springs 35 and 35 are mountedin a pile-up arrangement on a bracket 38 shown in Figs. 2, 3, '7 and 8in turn secured to the mounting plate I2 by a number of screws 43. Onspring 31 is securely mounted a rigid arm 4I shown in enlarged view inFigs. 8, 9 and 10. This arm is provided with a laterally extending pin42 bearing against a camming ridge 43 of a wheel 44 under the tension ofspring 39, the rotating movement of cam wheel 44 in cooperation withspring 39 being effective to impart reciprocating movements to lever Mfor a purpose which will be hereinafter described in detail.

The wheel 44 is securely mounted on a shaft 45 journaled in the uprightplate I2 and the plate 46 of a motor M shown in Fig. 5. Shaft 45 isoperatively connected to the armature shaft of motor M by a gearreduction train including the pinion 47 and the gear 43 secured to theshaft 45. The wheel 44, in addition to its cam surface 43 is providedwith a laterally extending crank pin 49 shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5, 8, and10 cooperating with a retractile spring 5|] for imparting reciprocatingmovements to a lever 5| best seen in Figs; 2 and 3, pivoted as at 53 ona bracket 52 secured on the upright supporting plate I2 and on the upperdisposed end of lever 5i is mounted a pawl 54 disposed in engageablerelation with the ratchet teeth RT formed at the front edge of drum I8for rotating it an angular distance of one tooth for each complete turnof wheel 44, the drum I8 being held in each advanced position by a checkpawl PW shown in Figs. 2, 3, 5 and '7.

In the present construction, 108 ratchet teeth are provided at the frontedge of the drum I8, thus requiring 108 turns of Wheel 44 for eachcomplete turn of this drum and the rings 22 car-.

ried thereby, the angular distances of the digit defining portions ofthe segment-shaped cams DI, D2, D3, etc., are therefore equal to one,two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten teeth; and theangular distances at each side of such a digit defining portion areequal to three teeth RT as to form when in assembled relation on one ofthe rings 22 interdigit spaces equal to six teeth.

On plate I2 and on upright support 55 shown in Figs. 3 and 4 there isjournaled a shaft 56 on which a carriage 51 is slidably mounted. Thiscarriage is prevented from rotating movement relative to shaft 55 by akey I0 engaging a key way II and on the carriage 51 is securely mountedan arm or wiper 58 which may be moved in selected position relative tothe code elements thus formed through the movement of a yoke member 63as imparted by the operation of a lead screw 59. The operation of thislead screw is effected by a manually operable knob 60 securely mountedon a shaft 89 and rotating the gear 6|, this gear engaging a pinion 52secured on one end of lead screw 59 and the carriage is provided with aplunger 12 for engaging V-shaped grooves as I3 in shaft 53 under thetension of a spring "I4 for centering and yieldably holding the wiperarm 58 in registry with the code element selected.

011 one end of shaft 56 is securely mounted an arm I5 which is moved bythe pivotal movement of shaft 55 against the resistance of a retractilespring III) and under control of digit cams DI, D2, D3, etc., from theposition shown in Fig. 9 to the position shown in Fig. 10 wherein it isengaged by the lug 16 of arm 4| for actuating the duplex contact spring36 upon the movement of arm 4| effected as above mentioned by therotation of cam wheel 44 so that the angular distance of digit cams DI,D2, D3, etc., on each ring 22 determines the number of operations of theduplex contact 36 and thereby the digits included in a given telephonecall designation.

On upright extending plate I I is rotatably mounted a dial 11 shown inFigs. 1, 2, 4, 5 and 8 operatively connected to the knob 60 by gears I8,I9 and 8D, the dial TI having a radial mark 8I which may be positionedin registry with lead lines as BI, B2, B3, B4, B5 and B6 printed on aplate 82 secured to the upright plate II and having pairs of inwardlyturned edges 83-83, 84-84 and 85-85 serving as guide for a paper card orname-plate 86 on which subscribers names are printed in position tocorrespond with lead lines B E, B2, B3, etc. and therefore with theirrespective code element 22 on the drum I2.

The gear BI is provided with a circular row of holes 81 shown in Figs.2, 5 and 8 provided for engaging a pin 88 upon a longitudinal movementof shaft 89 thereby locking the knob 60 and lead screw 59 actuatedthereby in the selected position as indicated by the index mark 8| ondial 80 in registry with the lead line indicating the name of thesubscriber desired which position coincides with the position of arm orwiper 58 now in operative relation with the code element 22 carrying thedigit segments DI, D2, D3, etc., representing the telephone calldesignation of the subscriber selected.

The shaft 89 as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is provided with an annularrecess 90 which, when this shaft is moved longitudinally from theposition shown in Fig. 5 to the position shown in Fig. 6, that is, whenthe gear 6| is moved in the locked position with pin 88, a latch lever9| shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 5 and 7 engages the collar 90 .ment ofshaft 89 causes the closure of switching under the tension of .a spring92 for holding .the gear 6|. in the locked position with the pin 88against the tension of a retractile spring93 having its upper disposedend secured to theupright flange l2 by a number of screws 94 and bearingagainst the inner disposed side of gear 6|.

On upright flange. 52 as shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 there is mounteda switching-device SW provided for controlling the energization of motorM. This switch is provided with a plunger member 95, one end of'whichengages the inner disposed side of gear 6| under the tension of aspring, not shown, so that the longitudinal movement of shaft 89 and themovement of gear 6l carried thereby from the position shown in Fig. 5 tothe position shown in Fig. 6 is effective to operate the plunger 95 forclosing the switch'SW and thereby starting the operation of the motorfor actuating the drum 18 step by step through the operation of the pawl54 actuated by cam wheel 44. The drum- 2% as shown in Figs. 2, 3,5 and6carries a pin 9B'provided for imparting a pivotal movement to lever 9!through its engagement with lug 97 carried by this lever upon eachcomplete turn of drum l8 for releasing the shaft 89 which is returned tonormal non-operated position by the tension of spring 93 and simul-'taneously causing the opening of switch SW through the return movementof its operating plunger 95 to normal, thereby stopping the operation ofmotor M which is timed to occur when the key member 9! carried therebyis in registry with the free end of lever or wiper 58 on carriage 57. Inthat, position the wiper 58 is moved an angular distance determined bythe point Pl at the edge of the recess of digit segment Di to the pointP2 at the surface of key member'Zl to cause the operation of contactsprings I00, NH, Hi2 and 33 through the angular movement of a radiallydisposed arm I04 shown in Figs. 2 and 3 carried by the shaft 56, thecontact springs I50, lfll, I02, I03 being provided to performswitchingfunctions which form no part of the present invention.

In a typical example of operation, supposingthat it is. desired totransmit the telephone call designation 7783254 as represented by thesegment-shaped cams D8, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6 and D! in assembled relationon the ring 225 shown in Figs. 4 and 14 clamped onthe drum [8 by thespring arms 27!, 28 and 29 as above described. With the drum l8 and thecode elements thus formed in normal position, the operation of knob 60is efiective to rotate the lead screw 59 through gear BI and pinion 52for moving the wiper 58 in registry with code element 225, the positionof the wiper 58 being indicated by the position of index mark 8| printedon dial ll which as above mentioned is actuated by the movement of knob50 through gears 18, T9 and 80, such index being new in alignment withone of the lines as Bl, B2, B3, etc., as the case may be, leading to thename of the subscriber printed on the card 86 and having the telephonedesignation 7783254 above mentioned.

Following the selective movement of wiper- 58 by the turning operationof knob 60 a longitudinal movement is imparted to shaft 89 from theposition shown in Fig. 5 to the position shown in Fig. 6 wherein thelatch lever 9| is caused to automatically engage the collar 90 adjacentthe end of shaft 89 for retaining it in such operated position againstthe tension of its retractile spring 93. The longitudinal moveoperationof motor M which was device SW through the operation of its operatingplunger member 95 in contact with the-inwardly disposed face of gear 6!.l'he longitudinal movementof shaft 8!) and the consequent engagement ofone of the holes of gear 6| with the pin 88 prevents rotation of knob 50during the started upon the closing of the switch SW. 1 I

The operation of motor M is effective to rotate the shaft 45' and thecamming wheel 44 carried thereby through pinion 4! and gear 48. Themovement of this wheel and the. crank pin 49 carried thereby'iseffective in cooperation with sprirg 50 best seen in Fig. 3 to impartreciprocating movements to lever 5i for intermittently rotating the druml8 step by step in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figs. 8, 9,10 and 14 through the engagement of pawl 54 carried by lever 55 with theratchet teeth RT formed at the end of drum is, the drum being held asabove described 'in each advanced position by the pawl PW shown in Figs.2, 3, 5 and'l.

The turning movement of camming'wheel 44 through its ridge portion 43 iseffective to impart movements to the arm 4i; see Figs. 8,9 and 10, whichmovements are timed to occur during the rest periods of drum 18, i. e.,during the backward stroke of ratchet pawl 54. The operation of arm 4|is rendered ineffective relative to the movable duplex contact 35 due tothe arm l5being positioned out of the path of arm 4| owing to itscontrolling wiper 53 not being engaged by the cam portion of segment DI.Upon the stepby-step movement of drum Hi from its normal position asshown in Figs. 8 and 14 to the position shown in Fig. 9, and theconsequent engagement of the inter-digit portion of segment D! with thearm 58, this arm is moved downwardly imparting a small angular movementto the shaft 56 for closing the contact springs let-40! and opening thecontact springs lll2w3. The continued movement of drum 18 from theposition shown in Fig. 9 to the position shown in Fig. 10, when thewiper 58- engages thecam portion of segment DI, imparts another downward movement to wiper 58 and therebya second turning movement to shaft55 and the lever 15 carried thereby for positioning it now in the pathof arm 4!, thus causing the operation of the duplex pulsing contact 36 anumber of times corresponding to the angular distance of cam DI, thatis, seven pulses.

Upon the release of wiper 58 by the digit portion or cam DI and theconsequent pivotal move-. ment of shaft 56 under the tension ofretractile spring N the arm 15 is moved from the position shown in Fig.10 back to the position shown in Fig. 9 wherein the operation of arm 4!is ineffective relative to movable contact 36, the total interdigitspace being, as above mentioned, equal to an angular distance of sixratchet teeth RT of the drum [8.

The above-described operation is repeated for each of the other segmentsD2, D3, D4, etc. Upon a complete turn of drum I8 the pin 96 shown inFigs. 3, and 6 engages the camming portion 91 of lever 9| for pivotingthis lever and thereby releasing shaft 89 which is returned to normalunder the tension of its retractile spring 93. The return movement ofshaft 89 to normal moves the gear 6| from the position shown in Fig. 6to the position shown in Fig. 5 which is followed by the movement of theplunger 95 for opening the switch SW and thereby stopping the operationof motor M which is timed to occur when the drum l8 reaches the positionshown in Figs. 8 and 14. The longitudinal movement of shaft 89 is alsoeffective to disengage the gear 6| from pin 88 to permit its rotation aseffected by the knob for moving the wiper arm 58 in selected positionwith another ring 22 bearing a difierent telephone call designationwhich may be transmitted by the closing of switch SW as above described.

What is claimed is:

1. In a call transmitter, a pulsing contact, a motor, a cam actuated bysaid motor, means actuated by said cam for actuating said contact, acode element, a ratchet mechanism actuated by the operation of said camfor rotating said element in timed relation with the movement of saidmeans and means actuated by said element for controlling the operationof the first mentioned means relative to said contact.

2. In a call transmitter, a code element, a rotatable support for saidelement, a motor, a cam wheel geared to said motor, an arm actuated bythe movement of said cam, a pulsing contact disposed in operativerelation with said arm, a ratchet mechanism actuated by the movement ofsaid cam for rotating said support, and means actuated by said elementfor rendering predetermined operations of said arm ineffective relativeto said contact for transmitting a signal according to the conjointoperation of said arm and said element.

3. In a call transmitter, a base having upright supports mountedthereon, a drum rotatably mounted on said supports, a code elementmounted on said drum, a motor mounted on one of said supports and housedin said drum, a cam wheel actuated by said motor, a pawl actuated bysaid cam, said drum having a ratchet toothed portion engaged by saidpawl for rotating said element, an arm operated by the movement of saidcam in timed relation with the operation of said pawl, a pulsing contactdisposed in operative relation with said arm and a mechanism operableupon the operation of said element for rendering a predeterminedoperation of said arm inefiective relative to said contact.

4. In a call transmitter, a drum, a motor, a ratchet mechanism, a camwheel actuated by said motor having means for actuating said mechanism,a plurality of code elements, a support for said elements actuated bysaid mechanism, a wiper, means movable in one direction for moving saidwiper in operative relation with one of said elements and in anotherdirection for starting said motor, a pulsing contact, an arm disposed inoperative relation with said cam wheel for actuating said contact, andmeans actuated by the operation of said code element for rendering apredetermined number of operations of said arm ineffective relative tocontact for transmitting a call according to the character of saidelement.

5. In a call transmitter, a plurality of code elements, a rotatablesupport for said elements, a wiper, a pivoted shaft for said wiper, alead screw, a manually operable member for actuating said lead screw formoving said wiper on said shaft, in selected position relative to saidelements, spring means for yieldably holding said wiper in engagedrelation with the selected element on said support, a lever carried bysaid shaft, a motor, a cam actuated by said motor, a step-by-stepmechanism actuated by the movement of said cam for rotating saidsupport, an arm actuated by said cam and a pulsing contact actuated bysaid arm under control of said lever.

6. In a call transmitter, a plurality of code elements, a support forsaid elements, a wiper, a pivoted supporting shaft for said wiper, alead screw for moving said wiper on said shaft in operative relationwith said elements selectively, spring means for yieldably holding saidwiper in engaged relation with the selected element, a pulsing contact,an arm operatively associated with said pulsing contact, a motor, a camrotated by said motor for actuating said arm, a ratchet mechanismactuated by said motor for rotating said support, and a lever membercarried by said shaft and movable in the path of said arm by theoperation of the selected element for controlling the operation of saidarm relative to said contact.

JOSEPH C. FIELD.

